In biblical terms, the concept of "strangled" primarily relates to dietary laws and practices concerning the consumption of meat. The term is often associated with the prohibition against eating meat from animals that have not been properly slaughtered, as outlined in various scriptural passages.

Old Testament Context

The Old Testament law, as given to the Israelites, includes specific dietary restrictions. In Leviticus 17:13-14 , God commands the Israelites: "When any man from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life." This passage underscores the prohibition against consuming blood, which is directly related to the method of slaughter. An animal that is strangled retains its blood, making it unfit for consumption according to these laws.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the issue of consuming strangled animals arises in the context of the early Church's struggle to define which aspects of the Mosaic Law should be observed by Gentile converts. In Acts 15:19-20 , during the Jerusalem Council, James advises: "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood."

This directive was part of a broader decision to impose minimal dietary restrictions on Gentile believers, emphasizing the importance of abstaining from practices that were particularly offensive to Jewish Christians. The inclusion of strangled animals in this list highlights the continuity of certain dietary principles from the Old Testament, even as the early Church sought to accommodate a diverse body of believers.

Theological Implications

The prohibition against eating strangled animals reflects a broader biblical principle concerning the sanctity of life and the importance of blood as a symbol of life and atonement. The method of slaughter prescribed in the Mosaic Law ensured that the blood, representing life, was properly drained and returned to God, acknowledging His sovereignty over life and death.

For early Christians, adherence to this prohibition was not merely a matter of dietary preference but a reflection of their commitment to living in a way that honored God and respected the consciences of fellow believers. The decision of the Jerusalem Council, as recorded in Acts 15, illustrates the early Church's effort to balance respect for Jewish traditions with the freedom found in Christ, ensuring unity within the diverse body of believers.

Cultural and Historical Considerations

In the ancient Near Eastern context, the method of slaughter was not only a religious concern but also a cultural one. The Israelites' distinct practices set them apart from surrounding nations, serving as a constant reminder of their covenant relationship with God. The early Church's decision to include the prohibition against strangled animals in its instructions to Gentile converts reflects an awareness of the cultural and religious sensitivities of the time.

Overall, the biblical references to strangled animals highlight the ongoing tension between maintaining fidelity to God's commandments and adapting to new cultural realities, a theme that resonates throughout the history of the Church.(imp. & p. p.) of Strangle.STRANGLED

stran'-g'-ld (chanaq; pniktos, from verb pnigo, "to choke," "to smother," "to strangle" (compare choking of swine in the lake, Mark 5:13; the seed are choked by the thorns, Matthew 13:7; the servant takes his fellow-servant by the throat, the King James Version Matthew 18:28)): As adjective "strangled," used of animals deprived of life by choking, and so without the shedding of the blood. Flesh thus killed was forbidden as food among the Hebrews, because it contained the blood (Leviticus 17:12). Even Jewish Christians in the Jerusalem council thought it best to forbid things strangled to be eaten by Gentile converts, so as not to give offense to Jewish sentiment, and doubtless also to prevent participation in heathen sacrificial feasts (Acts 15:20; Acts 21:25).

Edward Bagby Pollard

4156. pniktos -- strangled
... strangled. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: pniktos Phonetic Spelling:
(pnik-tos') Short Definition: strangled Definition: strangled (ie killed ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4156.htm - 6k2614. chanaq -- to strangle
... Definition: killed. Word Origin a prim. root Definition to strangle NASB
Word Usage killed (1), strangled (1). hang self, strangle. A ...
/hebrew/2614.htm - 6k

Martin Restores one that had Been Strangled.
... Sulpitius Severus On the Life of St. Martin. Chapter VIII. Martin restores
one that had been strangled. Not long after these events ...
/.../life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter viii martin restores one.htm

In Wisdom Let us Hearken to Death, O My Beloved: How He Accuses us ...
... desiring to come, the sword came before him: let us see then against whom cries
out, the blood of the slain."6. Against you cry out the strangled, who were ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn lxi in wisdom let.htm

If any one Shall Condemn Him who Eats Flesh...
... If any one shall condemn him who eats flesh, which is without blood and has not
been offered to idols nor strangled, and is faithful and devout, as though the ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon ii if any one.htm

For that which is Offered to Idols is Sacrificed to Demons...
... As to things strangled, we are forbidden by Scripture to partake of them, because
the blood is still in them; and blood, especially the odour arising from blood ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xxx for that which.htm

Whether Since Christ's Passion the Legal Ceremonies Can be ...
... no further burden upon you than these necessary things: that you abstain from things
sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether since christs passion the.htm

I Will not Teach You Profound Doctrines.
... in Christ]. Pardon me in this respect, lest, as not being able to receive
[such doctrines], ye should be strangled by them. For ...
/.../the epistle of ignatius to the trallians/chapter v i will not teach.htm

The Divine Scripture Commands us to Abstain from Blood...
... The divine Scripture commands us to abstain from blood? The divine Scripture commands
us to abstain from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication. ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon lxvii the divine scripture.htm

The Charter of Gentile Liberty
... But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and
from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.21. ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture the acts/the charter of gentile liberty.htm

Jew and Gentile
... Again, the Gentiles were accustomed to eat the flesh of animals that has been strangled,
while the Jews had been divinely instructed that when beasts were ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 19 jew and gentile.htm

Herod by Caesars Direction Accuses his Sons at Eurytus. They are ...
... They Are Not Produced Before The Courts But Yet Are Condemned; And In A
Little Time They Are Sent To Sebaste, And Strangled There. ...
/.../chapter 27 herod by caesars.htm

Strangled (4 Occurrences)
... (imp. & pp) of Strangle. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. STRANGLED. ... Edward Bagby
Pollard. Multi-Version Concordance Strangled (4 Occurrences). ...
/s/strangled.htm - 9k

Lewdness (68 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Acts 15:20 But that we write to them that they abstain from pollutions
of idols, and from lewdness, and from things strangled, and from blood. (WBS). ...
/l/lewdness.htm - 29k

Whoredom (58 Occurrences)
... Acts 15:20 but to write to them to abstain from the pollutions of the idols, and
the whoredom, and the strangled thing; and the blood; (YLT). ...
/w/whoredom.htm - 24k

Idols (186 Occurrences)
... Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols,
from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. ...
/i/idols.htm - 37k

Immorality (38 Occurrences)
... Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols,
from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. (WEB NIV). ...
/i/immorality.htm - 18k

Fornication (52 Occurrences)
... Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols,
and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. ...
/f/fornication.htm - 24k

Abstain (13 Occurrences)
... Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols,
from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. ...
/a/abstain.htm - 10k

Sexual (59 Occurrences)
... Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols,
from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. (WEB NIV). ...
/s/sexual.htm - 23k

Unchastity (5 Occurrences)
... Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols,
from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. (See RSV). ...
/u/unchastity.htm - 8k

Offered (320 Occurrences)
... Acts 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from
things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye ...
/o/offered.htm - 37k

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